Electric dry shaver

ABSTRACT

An electric dry-shave including a clipper which selectively may be rendered inoperative, and can be driven by the armature of the electric motor, which also serves to drive the shaving cutter; driving means are continuously coupled with both the cutter of the clipper and with the armature.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,889,371 1 de Boer [4 June 17, 1975 [541 ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER 2,643,453 6/1953 Carissimi 30/4392 3,l05,l63 9/1963 Cam 30/4392 X [75] Inventor: Jan de Dlachten Netherlands 3,376,636 4/1968 Schu essler 30/4392 x [73] Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation, New 7 York, NY. 1 Primary Examiner-Donald G. Kelly [22] Flled: 1973 Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Smith [21] APPL 420114 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frank R. Trifari [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 7 Dec. 22, 1972 Netherlands 7217485 [5 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 30/341 An electric dry-shave including a clipper which selec- [51] Int. Cl B26b 19/10 tively may be rendered inoperative, and can be driven [58] Field of Search 30/34.l, 42, 43.91, 43. by the armature of the electric motor, which also 30/210, 272 A serves to drive the shaving cutter; driving means are continuously coupled with both the cutter of the clip- [56] References Cited per and with the armature.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,611,175 9/1952 Kobler 30/43.92 X 8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUN 1 7 I975 SHEET PATENTEDJUN 17 I975 3889.371

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PATENTEDJUN 1 7 I975 SHEET Fig.8

PATENTEIJJUH]? I915 3,889,371

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ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an electric dry shaver having an electric motor which includes a stator and an armature, and connection means for establishing and breaking the driving relationship between a reciprocable cutter of a built-in long-hair clipper and the armature of the motor. This connection means includes at least one actuating member which is mounted in the wall of the housing of the dry-shaver and is to be operated by hand. The surface of this connection means, which is directed to the interior of the housing, cooperates with driving means which are continuously coupled to the cutter and serve to enable it to be reciprocably driven by the motor.

United States Patent No. 3,376,636 describes an electric dry-shaver of the aforementioned type provided with a vibrator-type electric motor. This known dry-shaver has a long-hair clipper or trimmer adapted to be driven by the vibrator motor which also drives the cutter of the shaving head. A manually operable actuating member in the form of a sliding button is mounted in the wall of the housing of the said dry-shaver. Sliding movement of the button enables the drive for the clipper to be switched on or off. For this purpose, the button with its end internal of the housing cooperates with a driving means in the form of a drive rod to be driven by the vibrator motor. One of the ends of the drive rod is pivotally connected to a crank mounted on a spindle journalled in the dry-shaver housing. A second crank is mounted on the spindle so as to be slightly spaced from the first mentioned crank and engages the reciprocable cutter of the clipper. The other end of the drive rod is formed with a recess which corresponds to a pin secured to the armature of the motor.

When the driving relationship between the motor and the clipper cutter has been established, the pin rotates in the recess so as to drive the drive rod end. Hence, via the first crank, the spindle journalled in the housing and the second crank, the clipper cutter is driven into reciprocating movement. When no driving relationship between the motor and the clipper cutter has been established, the recess in the drive rod is spaced from the pin so that the recess and the pin are disengaged. The drive rod is continuously loaded by a compression spring in a direction which corresponds to a pivotable movement of the drive rod about its connection to the crank, such that the recess is pressed away from the pin. The inner surface of the button is provided with a cam which cooperates with a leaf spring, which at one end is secured to the housing and cooperates with the drive rod which it can load in a direction opposite to the direction of loading by the said compression spring.

Sliding displacement of the button causes the leaf spring to be deflected so as to displace the end of the drive rod formed with the recess into engagement with the pin on the motor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION driving means comprises a driver lever which is continuously coupled not only to the clipper cutter but also to the motor armature and is provided with a first support part. Further-more the movable actuating member cooperates with a second support part which is displaceable relative to the housing. The two support parts constitute a detachable pivot for the lever, the second support part forming, when the driving relationship between the cutter and the armature has been established, te fixed fulcrum of the pivot, while in the absence of the said driving relationship the two support parts are disengaged from one another.

The term lever is used to mean a machine part which is pivotable about a fixed fulcrum. This pivoting movement of the driving lever about the fulcrum, which is produced at some distance from this fulcrum, is used at another point of the drive lever to drive another machine part.

The simplification effected by the invention is in particular due to the fact that the drive means need not be displaceable relative to the armature, as is required in the known dry-shaver; only a displacement between the actuating means and the cooperating displaceable sup port part of the drive lever is required.

In an electric dry-shaver of the type referred to which is provided with a vibrator motor having an oscillating armature, preferably an embodiment of the invention is used which is characterized in that the pivoting axis of the pivot is parallel to the axis of oscillation of the armature, while the drive lever directly engages both the cutter and the armature.

Preferably an embodiment is used which is characterized in that the pivoting axis substantially coincides with the axis of oscillation of the armature-This prevents sliding movements in the pivot with a consequent reduction in wear and in working losses in the pivot.

A further embodiment contributes to a stable construction of the device for switching the clipper cutter into and out of operation. This embodiment is characterized in that the drive lever is pivotally connected to the armature, and one free end of the lever slidably cooperates with.the cutter by means of a coupling in which a part fixedly connected to one of the said elements cooperates with a slot formed in the other element. At the armature end of the drive lever a satisfactory and stable bearing capable of absorbing the requiredforces and moments can be provided by simple means. This is not the case at the cutter end of the lever, because in this case warping forces and other constructional difficulties arise, since the cutter is very thin.

When the motor of the dry-shaver is operating but the driving relationship between it and the clipper is not established, it obviously is of advantage for the support part which together constitute the said detachable pivot for the lever to perform the smallest possible movements relative to one another. Therefore a further embodiment of the invention is of importance, which is characterized in that the pivoting axis is situated between the points at which the drive lever engages the cutter and the armature respectively.

With a view to maximum reduction of the number of component parts another embodiment of the invention is of importance, which is characterized in that the second support part is integral with the actuating member.

In another embodiment of the invention the actuating member is a pivoting key adapted to pivot about a pivoting axis which is situated about midway between knob; and

the key ends and extends parallel to the outer surface of the surrounding part of the housing. This key is loaded by a bistable spring mechanism and hence has two stable pivoted conditions.

A further embodiment is characterized in that the ac tuating member is a rotary knob adapted to rotate about an axis substantially at right angles to the surrounding part of the housing.

Another embodiment is characterized in that the first support part is a hinge pin and the second support part is a journal for the hinge pin.

In particular in order to avoid problems in assembling an electric dry-shaver provided with a vibrator motor and designed according to one of the aforedescribed embodiments in which the drive lever is rotatably connected to the armature, a further embodiment is of importance; this is characterized in that the vibrator motor at its end nearer the drive lever has a projecting part which is rigidly secured to the frame of the motor; the drive lever has a corresponding recess, the projecting part of the motor extending in the recess in the drive lever while the diameter of the'recess exceeds the diameter of the projecting part by an amount, such that the drive lever is capable of limited rotary movement relative to the armature.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation view, partly in section of a vibrator-type electric dry-shaver provided with a pivoting key for switching the built-in long-hair clipper into and out of operation.

FIG. 2 is a partial elevation view, partly in section of the dry-shaver of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a detail of FIG. 1 with the pivoting key in the position in which the clipper is switched into operation;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the detail of FIG. 3 in whic the drive lever is shown in its middle position and in its two extreme positions to illustrate the manner in which the two parts of the detachable pivot support cooperate;

FIG. 5 again shows the detail of FIG. 3, but with the key in the other position;

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the detail of FIG. 5, agai showing the drive lever in its middle position and in its 1;

tion of a dry-shaver of the same'type as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but provided with another actuating member for switching the built-in clipper into and out of operation;

FIG. 8 is a partial elevation view, partly in section of the dry-shaver of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an elevation similar to that shown in FIG. 4, but with an actuating member in the form of a rotary FIG. 10 shows the same elevation as FIG. 8, but with the rotary knob in the position in which the drive for the cutter of the clipper is switched out of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the Figures corresponding component parts are designated by like reference numerals, but with varied alphabeticv -.-..'nxes. Referring now to FIG. 1, an electric dry-sh .ver 1 has an electric motor 2. The motor is of the vibrator type having a stator 3 and an oscillating armature 4. The stator is built up of laminations 5 on which two stator coils 6 are mounted only one of which is visible in FIG. 1.

For supporting the armature 4 two frame plates 9 and 10 are secured to the laminations 5 by means of bolts 7 and nuts 8. The armature 4 comprises laminations 11 enclosed in a nylon body 12. The armature 4' is capable of oscillating about a spindle 13. A brass sleeve 14 is pressed into the nylon body 12 of the armature 4, and the spindle 13 is rigidly secured in the two frame plates 9 and 10. The motor 2 is enclosed in a housing of the dry-shaver 1 which comprises two parts 15 and 16. A shaving head 17 is mounted on the housing and a thin perforated foil comb 18 is suspended in arched shape in the head by means of projections 19.. A cutter 20 comprising a frame 21 and cutting blades 22-mounted in the frame cooperates with the foil comb. A spindle 23 is journalled in the frame 21, and a coupling part 24 of the cutter is mounted so as to be rotatable about and displaceable along the spindle. For driving the cutter 20 the coupling part 24 cooperates with a forked end 25 of the nylon body 12 of the oscillating armature 4. A compression spring 26 which maintains the cutter 20 in engagement with the foil comb 18 is mounted in the forked end.v The built-in long-hair trimrrier'or. clipper comprises a stationary comb blade 27 and a cutter 28 movable with respect to the comb blade.

The device for establishing and disconnecting the driving relationship between the cutter 28 of the clipper and the armature 4 of the motor includes a manually operable actuating member inthe form of a pivoting key 29 mounted in the housing part 16. The key cooperates with a drive lever 30 which is continuously coupled with the cutter 28 and also with the armature 4. The portion of the key 29 internal of the housing of the dry-shaver 1 cooperates with the drive lever 30. A first support part in the form of a pivot pin 31 is mounted on the drive lever 30. The pivoting key 29 is formed with two projections 32 which correspond to the pivot pin 31 and only one of which is shown in FIG. 1. The pivot pin 32 and the projections 32 constitute a detachable pivot for the lever. v

When the drive relationship between the c'utter28 and thearmature 4'has been established, the projections 32 form the fulcrum of the pivot for the drive lever 30. In FIG. 1, the support parts are in engagement with each other, however, the key 29 maybe in another position'in which the said parts are disengaged. For this purpose, the key 29 is adapted to pivot about'pivot pins 33 arranged one of each side. Thus, the key is pivotable about an axis situated about midway between its ends and extending parallel to the wall of the surrounding portion of the housing part 16. A spring 34 so biasses the key as to provide two stable conditions by structure not shown, but well-known in the prior art, including US. Pat. No. 2,61 l,l75. The pins 33 and the spring 34 are located in recesses in a plate 35 secured to the inner surface of the wall of the housing part 16; see also FIG. 2. The spring 34 so biasses the key that in the position shown in FIG. 1 it presses the key into engagement with a stop 36 on the plate 35, and in the other position it presses the key into engagement with a stop 37.

The axis of the pivot coincides with the axis of the pin 31, and is parallel to the axis of oscillation of the armature which coincides with the axis of the spindle 13. The drive lever 30 directly engages the cutter and the armature. For this purpose, the cutter 28 is provided 43 of the drive lever 30 at which the lever engages the cutter 28 of the clipper and the armature 4 of the motor respectively. The projections 32 and the pins 33 are integral with the key 29 which is made of a synthetic material.

The vibrator motor 2 at its end facing the drive lever has a projecting part 46 of the spindle 13, which part is secured to the motor frame. The drive lever 30 is formed with a corresponding recess 47. The projecting part 46 extends into the recess 47 of the drive lever and the cross-sectional area of the recess exceeds the crosssectional area of the projecting part 46 to an extent such as to permitof limited rotation movement of the lever relative to the armature. Obviously, the recess 47 must be sufficiently large to prevent it from impeding satisfactory operation of the clipper drive during operation of the dry-shaver with the clipper in the operative or inoperative condition. The drive lever 30 is mounted on the armature 4 before the motor is inserted into the 9 housing of the dry-shaver. In this condition the lever 30 is capable of limited movement only relative to the armature. This is an advantage during assembly, because otherwise when the motor is being mounted in the dry shaver housing there is no certainty about the position of the drive lever relative to the armature, which may give rise to difficulty in achieving a correct position of the lever in the finished dry-shaver.

The dry-shaver shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, except for a different actuating member and a different shape of the part of the drive lever 30 which cooperates with said member. In this embodiment the actuating member 48 is a rotary knob capable of rotation about an axis which is sub stantially at right angles to the surrounding portion of the housing part 16 of the dry-shaver. The drive lever 30 again is provided with a pivot pin 49 which slightly differs in shape from the pivot pin 31 in the dry-shaver shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As will clearly be seen from FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the pivot pin 49 is substantially rectangular in section, the shorter sides being rounded. The knob 48 is formed with a recess 50 which is also rectangular, as may be seen from FIGS. 8 to 10. The width of the recess 50 corresponds with the largest dimension of the cross-section of the pivot pin 49 while its length is appreciably larger. The knob 48 comprises a part 51, which is journalled in the housing part 16 and is provided with a circumferential groove 52, and a wing 53 for manipulating the knob. The two ends 54 of a substantially U-shaped spring 55 are received in the groove 52. This U-shaped spring which engages around an elevated part 56 of the wall of the housing part 16 serves to fix the knob 48 in the housing, i.e., to prevent it from dropping out, and to produce a certain frictional moment during rotation of the knob 48, preventing the knob from being unduly moved by vibration.

The operation of the device for switching the clipper of the dry-shaver shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 into and out of operation will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 .to 6. FIGS. 3 and 4 refer to the operative condition of the clipper cutter 28. The pivoting key 29 is in a pivoted condition such that the two projections formed on the surface of the key 29 facing inwardly relative to the dry-shaver 1 are in engagement with the pivot pin 31 of the drive lever 30. Thus the two projections 32 and the pin 31 form a pivot support for the lever 30, the projections 32 acting as a fulcrum for the lever. In this condition the end 43 of the lever 30 is driven into reciprocating movement by the pin 45 so that the other end also performs a reciprocating movement. The lever 30 performs an oscillating movement about the pivot pin 31 between the projections 32. The movement of the pivot pin 31, however, is not a purely oscillatory movement, because the axis of the pivot pin 31 and that of the spindle 13 of the vibrator motor 2 do not coincide in view of the desired transmission ratio of the lever 30. At the end 43 the cutter 28 is driven without any play, because the transverse dimension of the end 40 is such that when it is mounted between the lugs 39 of the cutter 28, the notch 41 is slightly reduced because the edges 42, which are slightly rounded, are clamped with some pressure between the lugs 39.

If now, as is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the key 29 is moved to its other position, the pin 31 and the projections 32 are disengaged. The end 43 of the lever 30 is compelled by the pin 45 to perform the same oscillating movement as in the two preceding Figures. However, the end 40 performs only a small rocking movement between the lugs 39 of the cutter 28 which is stationary owing to the friction between it and the associated comb blade 29. Thus the pivot pin 31 performs an oscillating movement about a point situated substantially at the center of the rounded edges 42. To render the drive of the cutter 28 operative, the key 29 must again be moved into the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This requires the parts of the detachable pivot support for the drive levers 30, i.e., the pivot pin 31 and the two projections 32, to be returnable to their correct relationship. For this purpose, the pin 31 at its end is provided with a conical locating edge 57. The dimensions of the pin 31, the locating edge 57 and the space between the edges 32 are mutually adjusted so that when the drive of the cutter 28 is rendered operative the pin 31 will invariably enter between the projections 32.

The operation of the device for rendering the clipper operative and inoperative in the dry-shaver shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 shows the situation in which the drive for the cutter 28 is operative. In this condition the pivot pin 49 with its rounded edges 58 engages the edges 59 of the recess 50. The drive lever 30 performs an oscillating movement corresponding to that described with reference to FIG. 6. The recess in the knob 48 is large enough to enable the pin 49 freely to perform the oscillating movement about the end 40 of the drive lever 30.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the Figures. In particular it also includes embodiments in which a rotary motor is used instead of a vibrator motor. In this case the drive lever will have to be driven by a mechanism which converts the rotary movement of the motor shaft into reciprocating movement of the end 43 of the lever. Such mechanisms are generally known in the art and may, for example, comprise a crank-and-slot mechanism which directly cooperates with the end 43 of the lever, or a second oscillating lever which at one end by means of a crank-and-slot mechanism is driven by the rotating armature of the electric motor and at its other reciprocating end drives the end 43 of the drive lever 30.

Furthermore actuating members of other shapes than the embodiments described may be used, for example differently shaped keys or rotary knobs may be used but also entirely different actuating members, such as pushbuttons, slide knobs and the like may be employed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric dry-shaver including in a housing a motor with a reciprocally movable armature and a reciprocal cutter of a long hair clipper, the improvement in combination therewith of coupling means for driving said cutter, comprising a drive lever having a lower end pivotally engaged to said armature, an upper end pivotally engaged to said cutter, and intermediate said ends first pivot means, an actuating member mounted on said housing and movable between a first operative position and a second in-operative position, this member having a second pivot means generally adjacent said first pivot means of said drive lever, said actuating member, when moved to its first position having its second pivot means engaged to said first pivot means in a pivot connection, said drive lever with its lower end driven reciprocally by said armature, pivots about said pivot connection and has its upper end and said engaged cutter being reciprocally driven, and said actuating member when moved to its second position rendering said first and second pivot means dis-engaged and said cutter in operative, with said drive lever having its lower ail reciprocally driven comes: a pivot point.

72 Electric dry-shaver as claimed in claim 1, character'ized in that the firstpivot means is a pivot pin and the second pivot means is a journal for the pivot pin.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 furthercomprising third pivot means between said actuating member and said housing whereby said actuating member is pivotable between its first and second position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second pivot'means when engaged include a first pivot axis of said drive lever, and said motor armature while its upper end beis pivotable about a second pivot axis, said two axes being parallel.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said first axis substantially coincides with said second axis.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first pivot means comprises a first projection having first diameter, and said secondpivot means comprises a pair of second projections spaced apart a distance slightly greater than said first projection diameter, said first and second pivot means being engaged when said first projection is situated between said two second projection of said second pivot means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said actuating member'is a knob rotatable mounted to said housing, said knob being rotatable between said first and second position thereof.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said third pivot means includes a pivot axis approximately midway between the ends of said actuating member, the shaver further comprising a bistable spring means biasing said actuating member to either of two stable pivotal positions. 

1. In an electric dry-shaver including in a housing a motor with a reciprocally movable armature and a reciprocal cutter of a long hair clipper, the improvement in combination therewith of coupling means for driving said cutter, comprising a drive lever having a lower end pivotally engaged to said armature, an upper end pivotally engaged to said cutter, and intermediate said ends first pivot means, an actuating member mounted on said housing and movable between a first operative position and a second inoperative position, this member having a second pivot means generally adjacent said first pivot means of said drive lever, said actuating member, when moved to its first position having its second pivot means engaged to said first pivot means in a pivot connection, said drive lever with its lower end driven reciprocally by said armature, pivots about said pivot connection and has its upper end and said engaged cutter being reciprocally driven, and said actuating member when moved to its second position rendering said first and second pivot means dis-engaged and said cutter in operative, with said drive lever having its lower end reciprocally driven while its upper end becomes a pivot point.
 2. Electric dry-shaver as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first pivot means is a pivot pin and the second pivot means is a journal for the pivot pin.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising third pivot means between said actuating member and said housing whereby said actuating member is pivotable between its first and second position.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second pivot means when engaged include a first pivot axis of said drive lever, and Said motor armature is pivotable about a second pivot axis, said two axes being parallel.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said first axis substantially coincides with said second axis.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first pivot means comprises a first projection having first diameter, and said second pivot means comprises a pair of second projections spaced apart a distance slightly greater than said first projection diameter, said first and second pivot means being engaged when said first projection is situated between said two second projection of said second pivot means.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said actuating member is a knob rotatable mounted to said housing, said knob being rotatable between said first and second position thereof.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said third pivot means includes a pivot axis approximately midway between the ends of said actuating member, the shaver further comprising a bistable spring means biasing said actuating member to either of two stable pivotal positions. 